IDOLA' Have the immortal feather
by Garanz2
Summary: Unfinished. First person. Enter the mind of Del, the rappy born differently to the rest, in this tale of hatred and misunderstanding
1. Del Rappy

[u]'IDOLA' Have the Immortal Feather - Part One[/u]  
  
[u]Del[/u]  
  
My name, well, the name I'm known most by, is Del. I've also been called 'Black Rappy', 'Little bugger', and 'Subject' among others. You don't want to know much about me, but I'll need to tell you what I am if you are to understand. I am, sort of, a rappy. Rappies are a species native to the planet Ragol. Until recently, the rappies have upheld a society based on friendship and peace, with few predators and a lush planet on which to thrive. I know nothing of this, having had the bad fortune to hatch the day after that life ended. My arrival seemed to herald massive change. I, myself, am different. Very different indeed. Most rappies, like my late family, for example, stand roughly three feet tall in maturity. I am now seven ragolian years old, and I am more than a head taller than even the Pal rappy, the ancient leader of our race. Perhaps I should describe myself and the other rappies a little better. We are flightless, 'avian' creatures, as the humans call us. We are covered in soft feathery down, having no need for flight feathers, and have evolved to live in peace with ourselves and others. Thus, most rappies are not very well equipped for combat. We can run fast, but that's about it.  
  
That's where I come in. I am large for a rappy, and pretty scary to look at. First of all, instead of the bright colours displayed by other rappies, I am black. Totally black. Every feather on my body is as black as a moonless night, but is sleek and and sharp as a knife. The claws on my feet and the ends of my bladed wings are sharp and hooked, perfect, unfortunately, for killing. Not by my choice, of course, but they've always been like that. It would take hours to explain what I know, and I've barely scratched the surface of what there is to find about my past. But I don't want to. I don't want to know the full extent of what I've done. What i've seen. What I've killed.  
  
So, you're probably wondering why, or how, I'm talking to you, being a living weapon and all. That's a hard one. I was, shall we say, forged in the image of an evil power that resides below the surface of Ragol. Until recently, I was strongly bound to it, forced to obey it. Like I said, I can't and don't want to remember what I did under it's control. It called itself Falz, and granted me power beyond my imagining. I can change my shape, take virtually any form I desire. I'm sure many would enjoy such a skill, but whenever I change, a little of my sanity goes to Falz. I've only changed twice, and I never want to again. The first change was very major. I took a huge humanoid form, and killed a hunter by the name of Slash Edgewind. I absorbed his soul, but almost immediately after, there was a huge explosion. I have no idea what happened, but i remember, I was shot in the head by one of Slash's friends, a girl named Quint. Falz's powers protected me, but during the explosion, Falz lost a great deal of power. My bond with him snapped, and so did something within me. My soul was partially bonded with the hunter's. Now, I know everything he knew. About their past, why they left their home planet, Coral, to come here. The memories are hazy, so I assume Slash was still a chick when he left his home planet. Coral itself was dying. Huge chunks of earth were breaking from the planet and drifting into space every day, while the atmosphere silently bled away... I don't know why, but my knowledge so far of human nature leads me to believe that they brought it upon themselves. Always questing for power, to expand their horizons... I don't understand it.  
  
So they found our planet. Ragol. They began a 'Pioneer Project', to emmigrate here. Pioneer One arrived seven years ago, the day before I entered the world. It carried mostly high ranking science personnel, along with famous hunters such as the legendary 'Red Ring Rico', and the commander-in-chief of Coral's united army, Heathcliffe Flowen. Apparently, Slash looked up to his father, Shred, as a great role model. He was a hunter, and had ties with he military. Slah's recent memories seem to be the most vivid. A few days ago, just before the arrival of Pioneer Two, He met up with his friends Quint and SiNE in a place called Razor's bar, inside the central dome on the surface of Ragol. They went out into the forest to hunt rappies. My species. For fun. A few hours later the dome was destroyed, regrettably, by Master Falz. Not one human survived. Slash and his friends were not present to witness the deaths of thousands of others. They split up, oblivious of the danger. SiNE, a human force, came across me in a clearing. At that time, I had no knowledge of Falz. I had dreams, stange dreams... What happened next was hazy. I came to my senses, standing on top of him, drenched in blood. I ran. something was calling me. I went to the dome and found everything inside decimated. What happened after that is another blank on my memory. I returned to myself again, stabbing an evil blade in Slash's stomach, absorbing his soul and life energy. It felt good. But then, there was an explosion. As I mentioned, something happened. Something that changed me forever.   
  
I now think like both a human and a rappy at the same time. I can read Slash's memories like a book, but mine are open to him as well. I now understand human speech, and can speak it myself. I understand Slash's pain, being trapped within my body. He affects my decisions, my thoughts, even how I feel and react. I feel sorry for him, but how can I free him, now that he is part of me? He hates me, I can feel it. but what can I do? What can I do to ease his pain? It wasn't my intention to live this way.  
  
That brings me to my present situation. On bonding with Slash, I realised I needed to warn the newly arrived Pioneer Two not to land on Ragol. I had to tell them about the danger Master Falz posed. I came across an android in the forest. Obviously a scout sent down from the ship. It was in very bad shape. Boomas, a common species of nocturnal predators, had ripped it apart. I found what I was looking for, however. A mechanical object known as a telepipe, which, when activated, returns the user to a set point. Using it was probably the stupidest thing I could have done. Three seconds later, I'm standing with twelve guns aimed at my face. Nice? Not in the slightest.  
  
So now, I'm stuck abourd Pioneer Two, in orbit around my planet. I've tried to warn the humans about Falz, but, well, their reactions were obvious. Who would believe a semi-living bird? I'm kept in an enclosure, in what I can guess is one of the highest security sections of the ship. They take tests. They extract my blood, talk to me, jab things in me. They stare at me through glass, feed me things that make me dizzy. They examine me all over my body. I don't dare react now. If Falz took control of me again the havoc I could cause would be immense. In my combat form, I could take down a veteran hunter in seconds. What chances would scientists stand?  
  
-----  
  
[/Pal]  
  
Rappies don't often leave the forest. I believe this is the first time a rappy as... important as I have ever left the forest by itself. The rappy species has suffered much over the last few years. I am the Pal rappy, the oldest of the rappies. They look up to me for guidance, apart from the black rappy of course. He was always a loner, but not by his own decision. The hunting parties killed all the rappies that could have been his friends. Only a select few hundred rappies remain alive today. Beaks are no match for blades and guns. After the black rappy left, two days ago, I set out to find him. I am unsure as to why. Perhaps I feel sorry for him. He has endured countless hardships over the last six years. He was forced to kill and eat his newly hatched siblings to survive for the first few weeks of his life, his parents having been cut down and killed by hunters. Regrettably, they were the first to die. Many others followed, of course, but the black rappy has never forgiven the humans for this.  
  
He is the only rappy to have ever eaten meat in living memeory. this may not seem like a major problem, but we rappies have lived off the planet's natural growths for millennia. I feel sorry for him, and I want him to return to us. He mysteriously left the forest, drawn to the humans' home by some unknown stimulus. When I pursued him into the dome, I found the buildings inside razed to the ground. It was as if the very earth beneath them had turned to water for one brief minute, before the ground swallowed everything up. Not a single living thing was to be seen. I then lost the black rappy inside the dome and gave up on trying to find him. As soon as I returned to the forest, I cried. I cried because one of us had exiled himself from us because he was unhappy. Rappies have evolved to enjoy life, to be immensely social creatures, living in harmony with the planet. Of course, seven years ago, that all changed. It all changed, indeed. 


	2. Escape

[u]'IDOLA' Have the immortal feather - Part Two[/u]  
  
[u]DEL[/u]  
  
So here I am. Sitting in my enclosure. The artificial breeze blows through my feathers, but it doesn't feel right. Neither does the unreal turf under my feet. The scientists didn't even think to give me anything to do, so I just sit here. It's been quite a few hours since they stuck something in me, but that's probably a bad thing. Something big is about to happen and I'm going to be at the center of it. might as well wait it out. It can't really get any worse than this.   
  
I lie back, and look at the hologram of a sky. It's not even very good quality. Boring. I really need to think of a way out of here. If they won't listen to me, even when I project my memories into their damn minds, I'll just have to escape and do what I can to stop Falz myself. But how to do it? If I change, Falz might take control of me again. I can only hope to convince one of them to let me out of this damn enclosure long enough to find a way back to Ragol. Maybe I should think back...try and remember if I saw a way off the ship... I have to look into my own mind. Here goes nothing...  
  
Darkness...  
  
Tiny space...  
  
Can't move...  
  
Have to break out...Have to escape!  
  
I struggle, no effect...  
  
It's too hard...  
  
No...There must be a way...  
  
My beak! I need to use it!  
  
Pull my head back...  
  
FORWARD!  
  
A crack...  
  
AGAIN!  
  
LIGHT! YES! Maybe I can get out now!  
  
Struggle again...  
  
The shell...it's collapsing...I'm free!  
  
Warmth...  
  
Is this what it's like to be born...?  
  
"Argh!"  
  
I wake up and sit up, drenched in sweat. Too far back... I shouldn't try that again for a while... Not a good idea at all. I get to my feet and start to pace. How to escape? How to escape? I could take a chance and enter my combat form now, and simply break out by force, but what if Falz takes control of me again? I don't want to kill anyone...  
  
...  
  
...  
  
...  
  
"!"  
  
No more time for thinking! Footsteps are coming. I stop pacing and wait. I sit down as the laser fence goes down, and the two usual humans come in. The female, whose name I have deduced to be Alicia, and the male, who seems to be known only by the title; 'Supervisor'. Supervisor isn't human name. More of a position, a rank. They stand over me, and I look up at them with the usual feigned insolence.  
  
"Alicia, it looks wet. What's going on now?"  
  
"It's just sweat. I'll tell control to turn the heating down when we're done."  
  
"It won't be around to enjoy less heat. We're going to dissect it now, remember?"  
  
DISSECT!? Not good! Not good! Just look calm, just look calm...  
  
"You idiot, supervisor! I was trying to keep it calm so we could administer the anaesthetic without it struggling!  
  
"Oh well, we'll just have to overcome a little struggling, won't we?"  
  
The supervisor bends down, a syringe in his hand. Screw this! He jabs it forward, I leap back.  
  
"Come here, you stupid bird!"  
  
"Make me, shitface!"  
  
He lunges forward, I sidestep, I'm falling? I tripped? Crap. He got me! Damn! Damn! Damn! His arm round my neck. He stabs the syringe into my body below the right wing. Damn that hurts!   
  
"In a few seconds, It'll be dead asleep and we can find out what makes it tick."  
  
"Supervisor, don't treat me like a fool. I know how our strongest anaesthetic works."  
  
I can feel the drug in my blood. Each cell cries out as it meets the intruder. In a few seconds it'll reach my brain, and it'll all be over... Wait! Nuts to that. Falz created me with things like this in mind. Even as I think this, I feel my body fighting the drug. the D-cells evolve to counter the threat. I can feel each particle of the drug dissolving away... I get to my feet slowly as the supervisor releases me. I look round. His arm is covered in shallow scratches from my feathers. Serves him right for grabbing me. Hang on! Maybe this is my chance to get out! I slump forward, feigning unconsciousness. I let my body go limp, slow my breathing down. The drug should have taken effect by now... If it still existed of course. But they, hopefully, don't know that.  
  
"I don't trust that thing Alicia. Let me give it another shot."  
  
"No. You've given it enough to take down half of Pioneer Two's army."  
  
Just half? Hilarious. Someone picks me up. It must be Alicia. She's wearing leather gloves. I keep my eyes closed. I need to wait for the right moment. After they take me out of the door, and before they put me in that damn photon cage. I hear the whirr of the door beyond the laser fence, and I'm hit by a blast of cold air. I'm out of the enclosure. A few more seconds...  
  
Three...  
  
Two...  
  
One...  
  
NOW!  
  
I leap out of the human's arms and start doing what rappies do best. Running. I'm in a corridor. A long, white corridor. Gotta think! If they get me with one of those paralysis guns, I'm screwed. If I come to a dead end, I'm screwed. If they set off the alarms before I can get out of these labs, I'm screwed. Right turn! Junction! Left or right? Screw it. Right! CRAP! Someone in the way! A scream. Only one way out. I skid and turn round. A teleporter. No time to think. In! I'm back in the recieving bay! Soldiers everywhere! CRAP!   
  
There go the alarms. Now I'm more than a little fecked. Nothing to do but run like hell! Straight across the room. A hail of bullets! No time to think. Through into another corridor, wasn't I hit? No time to thank anyone for luck. Another teleporter. A storage room. Nobody in here yet, but I'd better get moving. A rack of uniforms... Do I really have anything to lose? Even if it took control, Falz wouldn't be able to do much damage in a human form, would it? It seems like a bad idea, but...no real alternatives.  
  
I begin to change my shape. I only know the body of one human, but... it should be pretty safe. Nobody on this ship knows Slash, right?  
  
[u]Pal[/u]  
  
I left the forest in secret. If the other rappies knew I'd left they would abandon all hope. Some have strayed back into the open, with the hunts halted. Some have even celebrated, but don't they know there are more humans, just waiting in the sky? What if they came down and started hunting? With half our small population out in the open, we wouldn't stand a chance. Could the rappies become extinct? It never crossed my mind...  
  
I've left to find the black rappy. I don't know what to say, or where to start looking, but I want him to be among us, even if our final hour is near. He deserves to experience life as we evolved to. He deserves friends and a family of his own.  
  
It's a beautiful morning, as usual this time of year. The sun is rising, the air is clear, and the predators are nowhere to be seen. The dome should be a good place to start looking for the black rappy. It was where I last saw him. He ran away, drawn by some strange force, screeching in pain and fear. I wander through the trees, pondering what to say to him. Should I say I was sorry for abandoning him? Should I try to console him? Should I...What in the...?  
  
A pile of metal. Mostly black. Not as black as the black rappy of course, but...Something's strange about it. It looks like an android. A mechanical being created by the humans to aid them in hunting... It's been torn apart. Did the black rappy do this? He can't have. His claws couldn't have made ruts this big in it. There are black marks all over the place. Some kind of blast? A long tube is sticking out of the pile of junk. It's bent and smoke is coming out... what's inside?  
  
"D.n'T t..cH tH.t..."  
  
Agh! it's talking in rappy! What in the world?  
  
"m. vOi.e sy.Te.ms a.E da.Ma..d..."   
  
What do I do? Do I run away? Do I help it? It's a human machine, but... It's obviously in pain, and it's speaking in rappy...   
  
"dO y.U se. A s.t Of re. a.D g.een w.Re.?  
  
"Red and green wires? Yes."  
  
"a.e t.Ey dA.ma.Ed?"  
  
"They're not connected any more, if that's what you mean."  
  
"co..eCt tHe. plE.se..."  
  
My curiosity is overcoming me. Part of me says no, but, should I connect the wires?  
  
"p.EasE..."  
  
What have I got to lose? A lot. For a wise rappy I'm acting really impulsive recently. I reach out with my claw, and connect the wires. DAMN! One of it's arms is moving! I jump back, ready to run. I'm scared. What if it has a gun?! It reaches into the pile of it's own parts, and there is a loud bleep. It begins to sparkle. I back away... it's starting to rebuild itself! It's parts are coming back together! it looks like a ranger, and it has a gun! A BIG GUN! Time to run! It won't follow me to the dome! I rush blindly into the trees.  
  
[u]BARRAGE (Yeah, he's back!)[/u]  
  
---Moon atomiser used---  
  
---Returning to optimum functionality---  
  
---Vital systems - Online---  
  
---Movement systems - Online---  
  
---Sensors - Online---  
  
---Weapons program - Loaded---  
  
---Damage level: Moderate---  
  
---Amber Alert---  
  
I'm back online...  
  
That rappy helped me...  
  
Why?  
  
---Mission Log - Loaded---  
  
Boomas...Lots of them. I never stood a chance...  
  
I need to find Kireek and the others. I need to accomplish our mission. I shoulder my bazooka and start to move. Sensors at maximum power.  
  
---Mission Objectives:---  
  
---Successfuly land on Ragol - Failed---  
  
---Locate suitable teleporter drop zone - Incomplete---  
  
---Maintain contact with squad - Failed---  
  
---Investigate central dome and surrounding area - Incomplete---  
  
---Return any and all survivors to Pioneer Two for questioning - Pending---  
  
This just isn't my day... 


	3. Agressive negotiations

[u]'IDOLA' Have the immortal feather - Part three[/u]  
  
[u]Del[/u]  
  
Alright, It looks like I'm safe for now...I changed into Slash and got one of those bright orange jumpsuit uniforms on just in time. About twenty soldiers, along with those damn scientists, dashed into the room seconds late to catch me. I'm not out of trouble yet though. They just rushed past, ignoring me, a 'storage worker'. if they'd stopped to look, they'd have realised I don't have ID or shoes... That damn tag fell off when I changed form. Once they realise they can't find me with their eyes, they'll come looking for me with that thing's signal. I'll just leave it here. Let them find their equipment instead of their precious test subject.  
  
I need to blend in more. A hunter in dock worker's clothes, without shoes or ID, is gonna attract a lot of attention. Looks like there aren't any cameras in this room, so I should be OK for now, I guess... Looks like I'll have to look into Slash's memories to find out how I'm supposed to do things. I'm not in the best of situations though...Maybe I should just try to get out before those soldiers come back. I start to pace, so I can get used to moving in human form. Slash's instincts seem to help me keep my balance, but I'll need practice. I've only had long legs once before, and I wasn't myself then...Falz had my body...And I...  
  
[i]  
  
I'm Slash...I'm back in the central dome on Ragol, on the high tower in the middle. Principal Rico's control platform. I'm sweating, scared and angry at the same time. There's a dark shape sitting on the desk as the far end of the platform...It's me...  
  
  
  
"Damn. What the hell is a rappy doing in the dome?... Damn, why am i thinking out loud?...Damn!"   
  
Slash is always saying damn. Must be a habit. The me on the desk turns around and looks at me. Do I really look that scary? I can't believe...  
  
"Holy shit! You're the piece of crap that beat up SiNE!"   
  
Something I'll never forgive myself for...  
  
"It is time..."   
  
The posessed me begins to glow. That's where my own memories blank out. Falz must have been controlling my body directly...  
  
"For you to die! Your Soul shall be mine!"  
  
And it was... I feel so sorry for him. I'm feeding off his memories right now...   
  
"HOLY..."   
  
I leap forward, with more speed than I thought I was capable of. Damn, Falz sure used my body well... Claws flashing overhead, I barely duck my own attack... Hair falls through my vision...  
  
"You hurt my hair! Now it's personal!"   
  
How can he joke, when his death is but seconds away?  
  
"Bring it on, you feathered shit!"   
  
"PUNY ONE! I SHALL DEVOUR YOU!"   
  
Another leap, another dodge. I swing my two-handed sword upward, and see it bite flesh. My flesh. I cut myself in half. Purple blood splashes all over me, and it stings my skin. I've killed myself...As Slash...No, this is just a memory, seconds later I will regenerate and get up, then kill Slash... Absorbing his life energy... This is confusing...  
  
"Phew...Got the bugger."   
  
[/i]  
  
I suddenly snap out of my trance and look down. It seems I've reacted to my fear in a human and embarrassing fashion...I need a new uniform...  
  
I change my clothes. It's a miracle nobody comes in and sees me. They must be too busy looking for a black rappy... heh. Good luck. This new uniform is a bit tight, but it'll have to do. I stow the wet uniform behind a supply crate and venture into the teleporter I came in by. The holding bay. Several shuttles lie ready to launch, facing the closed bay doors. If I can get into one of them...No, they're probably locked. I don't even know how to fly one anyway. Good job there's nobody around. The side of the room opposite the shuttles is piled high with crates, locked against the wall in case the doors open in an emergency, I suppose. Something tells me I need a weapon. If they come after me...No! I don't want to kill anyone! But it would be in self defence...  
  
The sirens are still sounding. The soldiers will be back soon... Damn these humans and their need to wear uniforms! I need to make myself less conspicuous fast. I keep to the walls and edge across the room. If there are cameras I'm in trouble if I go out into the center of the room. There are shut down androids and pieces of military equipment everywhere.   
  
"!"  
  
I duck behind a crate. Alicia has come back through the teleporter. This is really going from bad to worse, then even worse than that, very fast. There's a direct line through the room between the teleporters. Looks like she's heading back to the lab. If I stay still she shouldn't see me. I hunker down in the crates. She's talking to herself...She seems pretty damn irate that I got out, scared even. No wonder. They probably have files of everything I can do, apart from maybe my transformations, and something like me loose in a ship populated by over thirty thousand civilians would pose quite a threat to her credibility.  
  
"Operation shining darkness...And now this! I'm in so much trouble when the government back on Coral hears about this..."  
  
Operation shining darkness...? Is she talking about Falz? Do they know he's here, and still come with ships full of refugees?! They must be desperate...or crazy. Maybe a bit of both. No, they must have some reason for trying this... I shift slightly, something sharp is brushing against my leg.  
  
"Who's there?!"  
  
Damn...She spotted me. I'm screwed. Only one option, and I don't like it. I have to kill her. I step out from the crates and let her look at me. She looks me over, noting my lack of complete clothing and ID.  
  
"Who the hell are you? Where's your ID?"  
  
I take a step forward and she begins to look scared. I don't want to do this...  
  
"I'm warning you! I'm armed and not afraid to use techniques!"  
  
Wait! There's an easier way to get out of this. It's risky, but...screw it. I jump at her, and push her to the ground. I use my legs to hold her lower body down, while I pin her left arm with my right. I quickly put my left hand over her mouth to stop her from screaming, and she goes limp. I move my hand. She's faking it. GUN! Shit! I knock the gun from her right hand at the last second. A moment later and I'd be sucking paralysis again...  
  
"Who the hell are you, you creep!?"  
  
I don't want to do this, but it seems the best tactic is to scare her. I put my hand over her mouth againn, then slowly, I return my face to normal. She looks surprised. Her eyes widen considerably. Of course, you'd be surprised if someone jumped on you, then their nose and mouth turned into a beak and feathers sprouted all over their face. I wait a minute for what she's seeing to sink in, then I move my hand.  
  
"You're going to get me somewhere safe, and then you're going to tell me everything you know about operation 'Shining darkness'." I morph my free hand into a blade. "Nod if you agree. If not, I'm afraid I'll have to stab this thing into you. It's gonna hurt, especially when it starts injecting you with D-cells."  
  
"What the hell are you?!"  
  
"I'm your worst nightmare. And if you get me out of this damn mess, I'll be your best friend. How's that for an exchange?"  
  
She slowly nods her head. I can't trust her, but I've got nothing to lose.  
  
"Now get me the hell out of here."  
  
[u]Pal[/u]  
  
That was close. A true brush with death. That ranger had a bazooka! I've seen them using those weapons before. They start fires, and blast things to pieces in seconds. A cruel weapon used by cruel humans. I'm still heading for the dome. I'm not sure if I want to go back in, but...I need to find the black rappy. It's so sad...In seven years, we never gave him a name...   
  
I slow to a walk. I must have lost him by now. I can't believe I helped a human-made machine. It was talking in rappy. Some kind of new trap, obviously. I must be more careful. I'm on the very boundry of the forest so I can't trust anyone or anything. Nothign to do but head for the dome, the building looming huge about a mile away. Probably a hundred beats walking normally.  
  
Nothing left to do but trudge on. I have to find the black rappy...  
  
[u]Barrage[/u]  
  
My primary objective is to find my commander Kireek and the others. After a little calculation I decided to head for the central dome. As I walk, I replay my mission log to refresh my memory.  
  
[i]  
  
We were dispatched by Pioneer Two on arrival to scout out a suitable location for a ship-to-surface teleporter. There were five of us in total.  
  
Kireek, our squad leader.  
  
Moonblade, our espionage expert.  
  
Sharpshot, our sniper.  
  
Zebes, our close combat specialist.  
  
Me, the artillery.  
  
All spec ops androids. Black armour, advanced programming and weapons, improved teamwork and learning abilities. Programmed to follow our instructions to the letter.  
  
On the way down, our shuttle impacted due to unforseen circumstances. Sharpshot's motion systems and startup files were rendered inoperable by the crash, and we were forced to leave her at the crash site. We split up to achieve our objectives, keeping in contact at all times. The last thing I heard Kireek say to me was that he was heading for the central dome. Almost immediately, I was jumped by boomas. Nasty looking things. Predators. There were so many I never stood a chance. They tore my body apart with their claws. Somehow, I maintained functionality. I could only wait for someone to help me however, as I was too badly damaged to activate the moon atomiser in my item pack.  
  
[/i]  
  
Then that rappy helped me. It fixed my arm. I guess those hours in the simulator payed off. Unlike the other androids, I was content to enjoy the environments and listen to the creatures. I can't see why my creators would want to hurt such cute animals.  
  
---Scanning area---  
  
---Open area detected. Suitable drop off point for teleporter found.---  
  
---Objective Complete---  
  
Finally. I proceed to the clearing and deploy my beacon. It's a simple one that sends out a radio signal, but it'll do the job. Meanwhile I need to achieve my other objectives. Something in the bushes catches my attention. I move some folige aside. A jet bike? Someone left a jet bike in the middle of the forest? A quick scan. It's definitely from Pioneer One...  
  
---Scanning Object---  
  
---FireDash 490 class civilian hoverbike---  
  
---Owner Registration - 14953---  
  
---Slash Edgewind---  
  
---Loading databank information---  
  
Slash Edgewind. I knew his father Shred back on Coral...He helped with my programming. Pioneer One sent us it's population data a few hours before we arrived in orbit. However, the list was suddenly cut short and we lost communication. On arrival in orbit, we fired a communication beam to manually re-establish communications. However, a huge red beam shot from the planet and met ours in midair. We overpowered it, but there was a massive explosion on the surface. a kind of strange blue energy that shook the planet itself. Strangely, there was no visible damage. However, the native creatures, especially the predators of Ragol have been far more agressive than in all reports and simulations.  
  
---Pioneer One profile data record 14953 ---  
  
---Name: Slash Edgewind---  
  
---Age: 23 Coralian years ---  
  
---Occupation: Hunter---  
  
---Guild-Designated experience level: 137 ---  
  
---Bio: Young but skilled hunter from a hunter family excelling in bladed weapons. Known relatives: Father Slash Edgewind, Brother Slice Edgewind. No information of maternal parentage available. An upstart. Often breaks dome curfew in order to hunt. Second curfew warning. Third warning/incarceration pending.---  
  
Interesting. There's no sign of him. Or anyone. I'm on an important mission and speed is required. I'll buy him a new hoverbike if I find him. I take a few seconds to interface with the bike, then vault on. It's an advanced model, accomodating to humans, androids and newmans. A little more interfacing, and it starts up. Shoddy anti-hacking programs are no trouble, and this is a nice bike. Simple grey colour scheme, but an advanced model. Aerodynamic, quiet engines, and afterburners. Padded seat, arm rests, and beverage holder. Well, not really a beverage holder, more of a weapon rack. My mission is more important than a hunter's fun. I start the engines. Take a moment to load my biking program, and then head for the central dome. I'm beginning to like this piece of kit already. 


	4. Shining Darkness'

[u]'IDOLA' Have the immortal feather - Part 4[/u]  
  
[u]Del[/u]  
  
Not quite the reaction I would have expected from the guards. As soldiers and scientists milled around looking for me, the lab guards let me and Alicia out with minimal fuss. A quick trip to another storage room and I got some boots, but we couldn't do anythng about the lack of ID. Still, there wasn't any problem. Very strange, but I can't worry about that now. Alicia told me she'd take me somewhere safe, but I wasn't expecting her to take me to her apartment. It seems you can get just about anywhere on this ship if you have the right code cards for the teleporters.  
  
It turns out that this ship, Pioneer Two, is identical to Pioneer One. In that case, I should know my way around. The ship is comprised of five major sections. The front section, which looks like a giant spike, is almost two kilometers long. It contains all the vital systems needed for the ship's upkeep. These include life support systems, primary power generators, and security control centers. It also serves as an amplifier for various beams, including communication and, in some cases, attack beams. The center of the ship is basically a giant dome. It contains an entire city, in which the refugees live. The most important buildings, such as the principal's control tower and the hunters' guild, are right in the middle. Accomodation for hunters and their families is located around the central towers, and is split into ten sectors. Each sector is assigned a colour, as is each hunter living there. The guild classifies hunters by their 'Section ID'. Each of the ten sections represents the main skill of the hunter living there. For instance, Redria is the guild colour assigned to hunters who show great skill in melee combat. Oran is the section for brave hunters and rangers, who prefer to run into fights than stay behind, and so on. It actually turns out that Alicia, this shy scientist, is actually a hunter as well. A force, to be exact. Not a force like Mast- No, Dark Falz, but the word 'force' is used to describe a magic user. All forces use computer chips implanted in their bodies to focus and project elemental energies, but it puts greater strain on their minds than physical combat on a melee hunter's muscles. Thus, forces can only work for a short time without resting. Alicia has taken me to her home in the whitill sector. Because of the huge population crammed into this single ship, living space is limited. Everyone lives inidentical two-room homes, built into multistorey towers. The outerbuildings in the dome house the civilian personell and commercial sectors. Shops and such.  
  
Pioneer Two's main body is built around the dome, but there are two large curved wings at the sides. These contain governmental and scientific personnel and equipment. I just escaped from the left wing, the lab. The right wing is the most important section of the ship as far as rankings are concerned. The final sector is the engine. This huge piece of equipment propels the ship through space at insane velocities.  
  
Anyway, I'm sitting in this scientist's apartment right now. Maintaining a human form is very tiring, so I appreciate the chance to rest. I'm sitting in my normal form, on a leather sofa. Pretty cushy, but I don't know how long I can expect to be safe here. Alicia's gone into the other room to fetch her computer, so I have a chance to look around. The room isn't coloured in any way, just grey and plain. There's a small window looking out over the city, along with a desk and the sofa I'm sitting on. There's also an inactive holotv in the far wall. I assume the other room is a bedroom. I sit up and hop onto the arm of the chair to look out of the window.  
  
Oops...  
  
I look back at the sofa. My feathers have punched a bunch of holes in it. It looks like it was an expensive one too...This is one of those embarassing situations where a personality clash does not help. My rappy side wants to apologise, while my human side wants to deny it. Maybe I should just pretend nothing happened. Alicia comes back into the room, now carrying a long grey case. A folded up laptop computer. She looks at the sofa, then at me. I don't know what to say.  
  
"Ummm...sorry."  
  
She frowns, and seems to think for what seems like hours.  
  
"It could be worse, you could have shat on it."  
  
"..." Wow, she's got an attitude. I thought most human females were shy. Maybe the threat of death makes humans think differently.  
  
I break the silence. "So what exactly is Shining Darkness?"  
  
"You know I'm only even thinking showing you this because you are the first intelligent D-cellular creature apart from MAGs I have met in the flesh."  
  
"MAGs? The hunters' machine guardians? I don't know what to say... How can any human technology be based on D-cellular life?"  
  
"I guess I'll have to explain a little further." Alicia sits on the sofa and opens the laptop, which starts up with a beep. She pauses. What is she waiting for? Show me the data!   
  
"I really don't know why I'm jeapordising my job and even my life giving this information away. Can't I just return you to the surface?"  
  
"No deal. Show me the data right now."  
  
"It would be so much easier if-" I don't let her finish. I've already regrown my blade from the end of one of my wings and pressed the flat of it to her neck.  
  
"Show me the data, bitch, or eat chitin. I am not open to petty negotiations. You have nothing I need apart from what you know about Falz and I."  
  
"F-Falz?"  
  
Oops...  
  
"Just show me the data." I keep my blade ready as she accesses her files. I don't understand anything on the screen, but I will soon enough.  
  
---Enter password---  
  
"You need a password to access your own files?"  
  
"Of course. It stops other people from accessing them without my permission. Do you know how we discovered your planet?"  
  
"No, and I don't care. However, I know why you left yours."  
  
"Oh? And why's that?"  
  
"It was falling apart. Pieces of earth were drifting into space every day. People were dying everywhere and the atmosphere itself was collapsing."  
  
She stops fingering the keypad and looks sideways at me. Looks like I've confused her again. "How did you find that out?"  
  
"Never mind. Hurry up and show me the data. This is getting tedious."  
  
"It's hard to concentrate with a giant claw at my neck."  
  
I slowly move my wing. Part of me screams no, but I ignore it. I'm sure I can trust her. After all, we're in a small room twenty stories above ground. There's no way she can escape...  
  
"Show me now, or it'll be right back there, give or take a few inches."  
  
"Of course...I have no choice."  
  
Her eyes flick back to me, then the monitor again. Then she looks at me again. Or is she looking past me? I look round. A camera drone is hovering in the window.  
  
"NOW!"  
  
SHIT! She jumps off the sofa, overbalancing it. It tips over, dumping me and the laptop onto the carpet. A buzz. Soldiers coming through the teleporter. I get up. For the second time in almost a day I'm facing twelve or more rifles.  
  
"I took the liberty of calling security via the ship's computer network. You may know a lot about us but I doubted you would understand machine code."  
  
A squad of soldiers, a disgruntled force, an overturned sofa and a camera drone all stand in the way of my survival. Talk about rough odds...  
  
"Should we shoot to kill or stun, ma'am?"  
  
"Kill. I don't care how smart it is, It's a major threat to the safety of all the people onboard the ship."  
  
Something's happening...Energy is building up around the soldiers' weapons. dark energy... Don't tell me those guns use dark element power sources... I can't dodge twelve bullets! But what if I get hit?  
  
"Alright men, FIRE!"  
  
I freeze. Can't move...too afraid...  
  
*BLAM*  
  
A dull thud as each one hits me...right in the chest...not one miss.  
  
I'm scared...  
  
...so scared...  
  
...of what I'm about to do...  
  
...A red haze...losing control...  
  
...idiots...  
  
"Is this thing invincible or something?! Fire again!"  
  
...no...  
  
*BLAM*  
  
...can't...control...self...  
  
"...fReSh mEAt aT lAsT!"  
  
Falz! Get out...of my body...  
  
...they're scared...now...backing away...  
  
...I'm sorry...  
  
...so sorry...  
  
-----  
  
[u]Pal[/u]  
  
I've made it back to the dome... It looms in front of me, the rising sun behind it. If I'm going to find the black rappy, he should be somewhere around here. But the dome is different. Before, the door opened for me by itself. Now, it looks like somethign tore it out of the wall. If I could be more cautious than I am now, I would be. Once again I enter the dome, to face that wasteland of twisted metal and shattered stone that used to be a city. I still have no idea what happened here. One day the humans were combing the forest hunting for sport, the next day they, and their families, were all dead. The fallen towers and decimated pillars stand silent and symbolic like remebrance stones. Silent and somehow symbolic. When a rappy dies, a smooth stone is taken from the river to remember him by. Sadly, after the humans arrived the river deepened considerably. This mass of wreckage is an ironic, obscene parody.  
  
Something's changed since I was last here. The huge tower in the center is gone, replaced by a crater that must be at least five hundred meters across. I start to walk throug te rubble towards the crater. The black rappy is probably there. He always liked to hide himself in obscure places.  
  
Strange. The corpses, which were everywhere, strewn like vivisected confetti, are gone. Where did they go? Not even the bloodstains remain. It's probabbly none of my business. I let my mind wander as I walk. I try to remember life before the humans came.Clear skies, no fear of deaqth. Living a like of pleasure, fun and contentment. The first sign of the humans' arival was the probes. Strange looking but harmless mchines that came down and drilled into the ground. They left us alone, so we left them alone. And after a while, they all took off and left.  
  
Apart from one...  
  
It - what?  
  
A humming sound. I look round Argh! Hunter on a bike!  
  
"..."  
  
He rode straight past me...  
  
Didn't he see me? I stand out in this rubble like a star in the sky. Orange on gray is hardly difficult to spot. At the speed he was going he must have been in a hurry. He's heading form the crater...  
  
What if he's hunting for the black rappy?  
  
I need to hurry and warn him! Time to do what rappies do best. I start to run, but I can't kepe pace with the bike. I've got to keep going...  
  
I've got to find him...  
  
[u]Barrage[/u]  
  
--- Speed : 7 km/beat ---  
  
--- Sensor range : 10 km ---  
  
--- Human life signs detected : 0 ---  
  
God damn. Nobody in the dome at all. The lab's going to have my ass when they find out. What happened here? The level of devastation is immense! If I had been programmed with high level emotional programs, I'd probably be crying by now. What a waste.  
  
--- Objective : Locate survivors - Failed ---  
  
--- Scanning area ---  
  
--- 2 Life sign signatures detected ---  
  
--- Locking on ---  
  
--- Scanning ---  
  
--- 1: HUcast class android ---  
  
--- 2: Rappy (Native creature) ---  
  
A rappy? The one that helped me? That must have been the orange thing I passed just now. And the android?  
  
--- Detailed scan in progress ---  
  
--- Complete ---  
  
--- Pioneer Two profile data record 347  
  
--- Name: Kireek ---  
  
--- Age: Not specified ---  
  
--- Occupation: Hunter / Governmental assistant ---  
  
--- Guild-Designated experience level: 156  
  
--- Bio: None on record ---  
  
It's my squad leader. At last.  
  
--- Turn 47 degrees right ---  
  
--- Straight course: Achieved ---  
  
It looks like he's on the edge of that huge crater. What is it there for anyway?  
  
--- Distance: 500 meters ---  
  
--- Estimated crater depth: 25000m Estimated crater width: 517m---  
  
That's one big hole...  
  
--- Waypoint reached ---  
  
--- Decellerating ---  
  
I dismount and disconnect my bazooka from the bike. Kireek is...  
  
Kneeling on the edge of the pit?  
  
"Sir!"  
  
He gets up and turns slowly. Instantly recognisible. A huge, burly mech with dark purple armour plating. His movements are jerky. Is he damaged?  
  
"Make your report, soldier."  
  
I don't know how to say this...  
  
"All primary objectives...failed, Sir.  
  
"Secondaries?"  
  
"Teleporter beacon has been placed, Sir. Apart from that, complete failure."  
  
"Good...Come here, soldier.  
  
I walk over to Kireek, who upon closer inspection seems to be standing slightly lopsidedly. He's holding his photon scythe in both hands behind his back, but there's...something different about the blade.  
  
"Are you alright, sir?"  
  
"Never bEtTeR..."  
  
--- WARNING! THREAT DETECTED! Entering defence mode ---  
  
He swings the scythe horizontally, giving me almost too little time to bring my weapon down from my shoulder to block it.  
  
"Sir! What are you doing?"  
  
"dIE!"  
  
---WARNING! Corrosive materials detected! ---  
  
What the? That scythe is eating through my gun! I drop it, and it's weight pulls the scythe down to the ground. Kireek somehow keeps hold with both hands. How the hell? My gun weighs more than a metric ton!  
  
"A nIcE tRIck."  
  
He swings upward, THROUGH my gun! that's three inches of metal penetrated in a simple swipe! I barely step to the left in time to avoid being cut in half.  
  
--- WARNING! Impact detected! Head armour at 92% integrity! ---  
  
He hit me with the hilt! Bastard! I can't fight him at melee range!  
  
"I fEel sOMetHiNG...nEW...yOu tAStE So gOOd!"  
  
Okay, this is seriously scaring me now. I need to incapacitate him.  
  
--- Deploy freeze trap ---  
  
A small pod ejects from my wrist into my hand. As my commander pulls back his scythe to attack again, I ram it into his chest. The trap bursts, spraying compressed liquid nitrogen everywhere. Kireek's temeperature drops fast, and his vital systems begin to sieze up.  
  
--- WARNING! Tactical error! ---  
  
Damn right. My hand's stuck in his chest, and...  
  
He's stumbling backwards! He slips on the edge for a split second, befor tumbling into the pit, pulling me with him. I reach out, and grab a protuding pipe at the last second with my free hand. No idea how I did it, but that's not the problem right now. My one arm can't support four tons of metal! Already the pipe is buckling.   
  
Is this it?   
  
Should I self-destruct?  
  
What the? As I look up, something looks down. A feathery face. A rappy! Simulation training is either going to pay off now, or make me look like an idiot seconds before my death.  
  
--- Language change: English - Rappy ---  
  
"Help!"  
  
It keeps looking down. The pipe's bent almost halfway!  
  
"Please! Help!"  
  
"Why? You are a hunter."  
  
"I won't hurt you! Please!  
  
It seems to think for a second. The pipe's almost bent 90 degrees!  
  
"All right. Can you take my weight for a second?"  
  
"I don't know!"  
  
"Then in that case, here I come!"  
  
What? it hops down onto my side, and the pipe creaks.  
  
"Can you feel pain?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Good."  
  
--- ALERT! HEAVY DAMAGE DETECTED! Right arm has been rendered inoperable! Scan suggests major lareration damage! ---  
  
It cut my arm off with it's beak! The one holding Kireek. No time to watch him fall. the rappy hops back out of the crater, and I swing myself out using the pipe as a balance. As I let go, it falls apart completely. The remaining fragment disappearing into the blackness after Kireek.  
  
The rappy looks back at me, and does something completely unexpected.  
  
"I'm a Pal rappy. You can call me Pal."  
  
"Barrage."  
  
Interesting. This rappy seems to want to be friends... 


End file.
